Automatic turrent-lathe.



.|- C. POTTER.

Aurommc wenn mns.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23| 1914- 1,293,91 3. Patented Feb. 11, 1919L 6SHEETS-SHEET l.

jfl/MM 6 1. c. POTTER.

AUTOMATIC TURRET LAT HE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. I9l4. l I Patented Feb. 11, 1919;

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wmvfssfs.-

J. C. POTtH.

AUTOMATIC TURRET LATHE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. |914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- l/vI/E/von /6 BI I.

Arron/vir l i J l I I l l l l Il l. C. POTTER.

AUTOMATIC TURRET LATHE.

APPLlcATIoN meu 11111123.1914.

Patented Feb.11,1919.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES:

J. C. POTTER. AUTOMATIC TUBRET LATHE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23'.' 1914. 1293,91 3. Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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@ya cingY WITNESSES: /lVl/E/VTH A Arm/mfr par AUTOMATIC TURRET-LATHE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application led May 23, 1914:. Serial No. 840,568.

'To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. POTTER, a resident of Pawtucket, in thecounty of Providence, and in the State of Rhode Island, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Turret- Lathes, and dohereby declare that thev following lis a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to machines, such, for example, the type which havea revolving chuck spindle and turret and cross slides, whose movementsare auomatically controlled, and generally stated my object is tofacilitate the chucking or work-placing operation, and to this end myinvention consists in the machine constructed substantially ashereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsmetal working Figure 1 is a vertical sectionwith parts inv side elevation of a turret lathe em odying my invention;l

Fig. 2 is a similar View looking from the opposite side;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-*4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line tools are operating upon workin the chuck v of one spindle, previously finished work may be removedand fresh workplaced in an idle spindle, the spindles i beingsuccessively placed in working, or idle position withre'ference to theturret slide tools and the cross slide tools, and Iin the preferredembodiment of my invention the work spindle-carrying table supports thetool spindles vertically and the-turret slide is mounted to reciprocatevertically this arrangement facilitating the work of placing work in andremoving it from the chucks and economizing floor space. -I accordinglyillustrate my invention embodied in a machine having the charl 4 v 'abrought into axial alinement with the clutch acteristics just noted, andin such emboditurret lathes ofv ment -a frame 12 is employed so designedas to provide for the support of a rotating vertical spindle support, ortable 13, and a vertically reciprocating turret slide and of the variousmoving parts of the machine by which the various automatic operationsthereof are performed.

In the machine illustrated in the drawings, power is-applied to ahorizontal driving shaft 14, as by means of a pulley 15 that is beltedto a counter shaft, and said driving'shaft by suitable trains of gearingsupplies the power for revolving the work spindles, putting the varioustool slides through their motions, and rotating the spindle table toplace the work spindles lin and out of operative -relation with the toolears 19, 20, and 21 on an intermediate v shaft 24, each of which lastmentioned three gears meshes with appropriate gears 25, 26,

and 27 loose upon a shaft 29, and adapted by mechanism formin no part ofthe present invention to be c utched to said shaft 29 and to revolve thelatter at any one of a number of desired speeds according rto therequirements of the work as to size and material, for shaft 29 revolvesthe work spindles when they are in operative relation to the toolslides. Upon .the inner end of the lshaft 2 9 is a bevel gear 30 whichmeshes with a bevel gear 31 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 32journaled in a bearing 33 on the machine frame, which shaft 32 at itsupper end has keyed to it a slidable clutch collar 34 which isvertically movable to place it into, or out of engagement with a clutchcollar on each of the spindle-rotating mechanisms with which the machineis provided. The machine shown has two spindles 35 placeddiame'trically' opposite each other in the work table 36, above whicheach spindle carries its chuck 37. At its underside each chuck'has aninternal gear 38 with which meshes a pinion 39 upon. the upper end of avertical shaft 40 journaled in a bearing in the rotatable work table,and having at its lower end the clutch collar 41 into and out of meshwith which the clutch collar 34 is movable, when by the rotation of thework table the clutch collar 41v is other endof the shaft 43 is a lever45 that engages -a slidable clutch collar d46 splined to a shaft 47, andwhich clutch collar is shiftable into and ou't of engagement withaclutch gear 48 loose onv the shaft 47 and meshing with a' pinion 49 on ashaft 50. On the shaft 50 is a miter gear 51 which meshes with a mitergear 52 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 53 whose upper end has amiter gear 54 in mesh with a similar gear 55 |that is fixed' yto a. spurgear 56 which meshes with a gear 57 loose upon a shaft 58 and whichbeing in mesh with a ear 59 on the main driving shaft 14v is driven at aconstant speed. It will thus be seen that 'the clutch gear 48, which isloose on the shaft 47, is driven at aconstan't speed from the maindriving shaft, and so is thev shaft 47, when the clutch 46`is moved intoengagementwith the clutch gear 48. On the shaft 47 -is a worm 60 whichmeshes with and drives a worm wheel 61 on a stud shaft 62.- v

On its innen face the wheel 61 has a cam 63, which, at one point' inlitsperiphery has a notch 64into which -a roller 65 that contacts with' thecam and which is carried by a lever 66 on the rock shaft 43, is adaptedto fall underzthe action of a Spring 430, acting om the 'treadle 44 whenone revolution of the wheel takes place and the clutch collar 46 isthereby disengaged from the clutch when the revolutionV of the cam wheelceases. During the time that. the roller 65 is out ofthe cam notch, therock nshaft 43 is held in the position where the disengagement of 'theclutch collar 34 with the clutch collar 41' of the'spindle revolvingshaft 40, is continued, and during this time occurs the revolution ofthe spindle-carrying table to bring about the exchange of places betweenthe two spindles, so that the just finished work in. one spindle chu-ckmay be removed and work newly placed in the other spindle chuck may beplaced in position for the performance of work by the-tools. When theroller drops into the notch 6,4, said clutch collar 34 is lifted intoengagement with 'the clutch collar of the spindle revolving shaft 40,and the chuck in working position is revolved.

Preliminary to the revolution of the spindle-carrying table it isshifted horizontally in order to provide room for its revolution withoutdanger of the work striking the cross slide tools and-for that-reasonthe bearing of the work table is on a slide 67 which moves on ways 68 onthe machine frame 12 slides. For moving the table carrying slide p 67 toand fro, it is provided on its underside at opposite sides with racks 69with which, respectively, mesh segments 70 on a rock shaft 71 whlchextends crosswise of the machine frame and to which is keyed a pinion 72which meshes with a gear 73 on a rock shaft 74. On the outside of themachine frame the rock shaft 74 has fixed to it a lever 75, which, atits free end carries a roller 76 that engages a path cam 77 in the outerface of the worm wheel 61, the path cam 77 having such form as to impartto and fro The revolution tion, and such revolution is automaticallyproduced. The spindle table has a worm wheel 7 8 lwith which meshes aworm 79 on a shaft 80. On the shaft 80 is a clutch collar 81 adapted tobe engaged by a clutch collar 82 on a slidable shaft 83. The latter hason it a collar 84 against which one end of a coil spring 85 presses,which maybe placed under tension by a yoke 86'on a rock shaft 87 mountedin bearin in the table-carrying slide, and which by t e outward movementof the'latter, through an arm 88 on the rock shaft '87, and a pawl ordog 89 mounted on the machine frame 10, is rocked to move the yoke toincrease the tension of the spring latch is released by means of a rod91 having on it a collar 92 in position to be engaged by a finger 93 onVthe yoke 86 at the instant it is desired to have the spring act. Suchaction ofthe spring takes place immediately .following the withdrawal ofa vertical latch bolt 94, which, at its upper end engages one at a timetwo indexing holes 95 in the underside of the rotating table and isyieldingly pressed upward by a coil spring 96 acting upon its lowerportion, the releasing movement of the bolt 94 against the action of itsspring being producedby a radial linger 97 Aon the rock shaft 87. Therock' shaft 87 being thus utilized to release Hthe latch bolt and tothrow the clutch 82, the spring device just described for throwing theclutch 82 enables postponement of the throwing of the clutch 82 untilthe latch bolt has been moved to release the rotatable table. TheV shaft83 which carries the clutch 82 has upon it a spur gear 98 in mesh withasimilar gear 99 upon a shaft 100, which is splined to the miter gear 55so that the shaft l100 may move longitudinally with the table-carryingslide 67 and yet remain connected with the miter gear 55, by which itsrevolution is produced and as the miter gear 55 receives its motion fromthe constant speed gear 59, it will be seen that the clutch 82 is drivenat a constant speed. When the latch bolt 94 is withdrawn from the indexhole 95, and-the table is revolved far enough to carry the index hole 95out of alinement with the bolt, there is nothing to prevent the latchbolt lifting spring 95 from exercising its tendency to move the latchbolt upward against the underside of the table and when the next indexhole comes into alinement with the latch bolt 94 the latter is movedupward into said index hole, and by such upward movement through thefinger 97 the shaft 87 is rocked and the yoke 86 moved to withdraw theclutch collar 82 out of mesh with the clutch collar 81 on the worm shaft80 and thus impartaton of rotation to the spindle-carrying table isstopped. The yoke 86 acts upon a collar or hub of the gear 98 and theaction of the yoke upon the spring 85 to increase v its tension isproduced through said gear 98.

It will be noted that the constant speed gear 59 is the means by whichmotion is imparted to the spindle table to rotate it and also to theslide 67 to move the work spindles into and out of position for action,and hence, these two movements are certain to take place in proper timerelation.

The dog 89 which causes the rocking of the shaft 87 to release thelocking bolt 94 and to throw the clutch 82, is spring-held in trippingposition so that upon the return movement of the table-carrying slidewhich carries the arm 80 to the other side of the dog, said dog 88 whenengaged by the arm 80 will yield before the latter and pass out of itspath.

It is desirable in placing work in a chuck to rotate the chuck beforethe work is submitted to the action of the tools in order to ascerainwhether the work is centered. To enable this to be done when one of thechucks is disconnected from its driving clutch 311, I provide alshiftable friction roller 101 which is carried by a sliding bar 102that is adapted to be actuated by a hand lever 103 to place the rollerin contact with the rims of both chucks at the same time so that therevolution of the chuck by the driving collar 34, when such chuck is inworking position, will be transmitted to the other chuck.

It is desired to have the feed of the turret and cross slides in directproportion to the spindle speeds, and this is accomplished by having agear connection between the spindle and feed drives. I accomplish thisin the present machine by placing upon the shaft 29 a gear 104, whichmeshes with a gear 105 on a shaft 106, which, through gears similar tothose which transmit motion from the driving shaft 13-t0 the shaft 29,transmit motion to a shaft 107 having upon it a gear 108 that mesheswith a gear 109 that runsv loose on theshaft 58, but drives the latterthrough the familiar differential gear 111. which meshes with a mitergear 113 on a shaft 114 which has a spur gear 115 in mesh with a likegear 116 on a horizontal shaft 117. The shaft 117 drives three verticalshafts, one 118 which transmits motion to the mechanism for operatingthe turret slide 119, and two others 120, which, respectively, transmitmotion to the mechanism for operating the cross slides 121'. Theconnection between each of said shafts and the turret slide and thecross slide operating mechanism, as the case may be, is produced in eachinstance by a cyclometer mechanism 122, shown in Figs. 7 to 12, such asthat which forms the subject of the application of Myron S. Curtis, No.728,139, filed Oct. 28, 1912, and, therefore, not requiring to bedescribed herein, but I do not limit myself only to that particularmechanism, although, by reason of its compactness, and the indefinitetravel of the turret slide which is possible therefrom, it is desirablefor a vertical machine. The turret slide carries a circular series oftools and it is automatically rotated step by step to place the toolssuccessively in position for action upon the same piece of work in achuck; and as'each of the cross slides has its own operating mechanism,it lwill, therefore, be seen that by my invention I have all thecharacteristics and capacities of the automatic turret lathe, but withthe important advantages accruing from the vertical reciprocation of theturret slide.'

Keyed to the shaft 58 is a clutchcollar 123 with which may be engaged aclutch collar '124 on the gear 57, and when so engaged the shaft 58 willbe revolved at a higher rate of speed than that imparted to it by thedifferential' gear 111, such higher.

rate of speed being'- possible by the usual ratchet in the differentialgear, and being that at which the constant speed gear is run for thequick return, or idle motions of the turret slide.

The shaft 114 has a worm 125 which meshes with a worm wheel 126 on ayShaft 127 which carries a dog wheel 128 adapted to support the variousdogs by which the automatic changes 0f speed and feed are effected, asfor example, in the case of the speed changes by means of a lever 129which at one end is in the path of the dogs and is connected by a link130 to a yoke 131 that actuates a friction clutch 132, to alternatelyclutch the gears 26 orD 27 tothe shaft 29, or unclutch both therefrom,in which case gear 25 through a well-known automatic roll clutch drivesthe shaft 29. In the case of The shaft 58 has a miter gear 112 the feedchanges similar means ma be employed to change the speed of the s aft107. On the latter are three gears 133, 134 and 135. Either of the gears133 and 134 may be clutched to the shaft 107, by a friction clutch 136having a yoke 137 which is connected by a link 138 with a lever 139 thatis rocked by the vdog wheel 128, and when the clutch. is in a neutralposition the gear 135 is auto,- matically clutched to the shaft 107, byan automatic roll clutch. The gears 133, 134 and 135, mesh respectivelywith gears 140, 141 and 142, on a shaft 143. On the outer end of theshaft 143 is keyed a gear 144 which meshes with change gears 145 on theshaft 106. Also on the shaft 106 is splined a slidable sleeve146,.carrying three gears, two of which 147 and 148, are adapted one ata time to mesh with the gears 141 and 142, respectively, and the thirdsleeve gear 149 is adapted to mesh with a gear 150 on the .shaft 143.Thus, by these various hand change gears, many additional changes offeed may be produced.

The turret slide 119 is counterbalanced by a weight 151 and the crossslides are mounted upon vertically shiftable beds 152.

, The cyclometer mechanism for producingA the movement of the turret andcross slides. is shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 12. Each of the threevertical shafts 118 and 120, has

a bevel gear 153 which meshes with a bevel f,

gear 154 on a shaft 155 mounted in bearings 1n a casing 156.. rOn theshaft 155 are two gears 157 and 158, which respectively mesh with gears159 and 160 loose upon a shaft 161, to which is splined a clutch collar162, situated between the two gears 160 and 161, and adapted to occupythe neutral position shown in Fig. 8, or be shifted into engagement witheither of said gears 160 and 161,

. and hence be revolved and the shaft 161 thereby revolved and itsrevolution is in op- 157 and 159 there is an intermediate gear 163. Onthe shaft 161 is a gear 164 by which motionis directly imparted to theturret or cross sllde, as the case may be. For shifting the clutch 162whose position determines whether or not the turret and respective cross slides shall 'be operated in the direct1on of movement, said Cutchcollar is engaged by a yoke 165 which iscarried by a sliding bar 166having a roller 167 engaged by a path cam 1-68 on lthe shaft 169. T-heshaft 169 is adapted toreceive motion intermittently from the Genevastop mechanism shown, which includes the coperating disk members 170 onthe shaft 155 and 171 on." the cam shaft 169. .The disk member 170carries a slidalolel pin 172, which at prede-vv termined times isprojected to engage the cooperatlng disk member 171 and cause theturning of the latter and the cam 168 so long as the engagement exists.For projecting pinion 176 on shaft 177 which carries the pinion 178which periodically is engaged by the teeth 179 of the disk 170.

In the path ofthe pin 17 5 is the endv of a sliding pin 180 which, when.engaged by a pin 17 5 is moved longitudinally and engaging the pin 17 2projects it from the member 170 in position to engage the member 171.After the pin 180 is moved by the pin 17 5, the latter passes out ofcontact with it and a spring returns the pin 180 to its former posi`tion. As shown in Fig. 11 the retracting spring for thepin 180 is a coilspring that bears at one end upon a flange, or collar on the cuttingtools are at work upon a piece in the working chuck, the workman placesa fresh piece in the idle spindle; and by de pressing the treadle herocks the shaft 43 and simultaneously disengages the spindle driv`- ingclutch 34; throws the clutch 46 into engagement with the clutch gear 48,and lifts the roller 6-5 out of the cam notch 64, whereupon the camwheel 6l begins to revolve. By its revolution, the lever 75 is swung andthe rock shaft 74 is turned, and through the gears 72 and 73 the shaft71 is rocked and by the gear segments 70 and racks 69 the slide 67 ismoved outward until the lever roll 76 reaches the circularv portion ofthe path cam 77, whereupon outward movement ceases and the slide isstationary for about a half revolution of the cam wheel. Duringthe-@outward travel of the slide 67, the rock shaft -arm 88 is moved byits contact with the dog 89, and the shaft 87 is rocked to release .thelatch -bolt 96, and to throw the clutch collarV 82 into engagement withthe clutch collar 81 of the table rotating worm shaft 80 and suchengagement continues until the next index hole alines with the latch'and its form might be such as to cause all,

or practically all of the half rotation to take place while therotatable table is in its outward pos1t1on,'or such rotation may takeplace during the reciprocation of the slide,-

-the important consideration being the avoidance of the turning movementwhile there is danger of the work colliding with the tools. The returnof the slide 67 to its inner position, being accomplished on thecomplete revolution of the cam wheel, the notch 64 is again broughtopposite the lever roll. 64 and the latter entering said notch the rockshaft 43 is free to turn in the direction to cause the lever 47 to throwthe clutch 46 to stop the camV wheel turning sha-ft 47 where` upon theslide 67 comes to rest, abutting against a stop 184 on the frame 12,(which stop may be adjustable) and held in such position 'by the restingof the lever roll 76 in a land or dwell, in the path cam. Before thereturn travel of the slide 67 begins, and upon the completion of thehalf revolution of the spindle table, the latch bolt spring throwsthe'latch bolt into the alining index hole, and rocks the shaft 87 todisconnect the clutch members 81 and 82 of the table rotatinfrmechanism.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of my invention shown anddescribed herein, is not the only form it may be given, and, hence,other forms may be resorted to without departure from the spirit thereofas is set forth in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim 1s 1. In a metal workingmachine, the combination of a plurality of work holders, a rotatabletable carrying rthem, automatic table rotating means, a tool slide,together with the work holders, being shift-- able to and from the toolslide and means to shift said table to and from working positionrelative to the tool slide.

2. In a metal working machine, the combination of a plurality of workholders, a rotatable table carrying them, automatic table rotatingmeans, a horizontally movable slide supporting said table to rotate onla vertical aXis, automatic means to control the movements of saidslide, and a vertically movable tool slide.

3. Ina metal working machine, the com-v bination of a plurality ofrevoluble work spindles, a tool slide, a movable support for thespindles, by which they are successively moved9 to and rfrom workingposition, spindle rotating mechanism with which the work spindles areoperatively connected one at a time. A slide carrying the spindlesupport, means for shifting said slide to cha-nge the position of thework spindles with reference to the tool slide, and a clutch forconnecting the spindle rotating mechanism and the work spindles, saidclutch comprisin a stationarily mounted member, and a mem er supportedand carried by' said slide.

4. In a metal working machine, the com of revoluble work 'bination of aplurality spindles; 'a 'toolslide, a rotatable support for the spindles,by which they are successively said table,

bination of a driving shaft,atool slide,a plurality of work spindles, arotatablemtable carrying said spindles, a feed shaft, a constan-t speedfeed shaft gear, an operative connection between the feed shaft and thetool slide, a controllable gear connection between the constant speedgear and the rotatable table, a gear connection between the drive shaftand the constant speed gear, and 'a controllable gear connection betweenthe drive shaft and the work spindles.

6. In a metal working machine, the combination of a driving shaft, atool slide,y a plurality of work spindles, a rotatable table carryingsaid spindles, a constantA speed feed shaft, a gear, operativeconnectionbetween the feed shaft and the tool slide, a controllable gearconnection between the constant speed gear and the rotatable table, agear connection between the drive shaft and the constant speed gear, aslide carrying the rotatable table, a gear connection between said slideand the constant speed shaft, and a controllable lear connection betweenthe drive shaft and the work spindles.

7. In a metalworking machine, the combination of a tool holder, aplurality of ro. tata'b'le work-holders presentable in succession inworking relation to the too-l holder, and a table forming a commonsupport for said work-holders and with which they are simultaneouslyshiftable toward and from the tool-holder in a straight-line directioncrosswise of the aXes of rotation of the work holders.

8. In a metal working machine the combination of ay tool holder, aplurality of rotatable work-holders, a rotatable table carrying thelatter, by the rotation of which they are brought in succession intoworking relation with the Atool-holder, and a slide supporting saidtable reciproca'ble toward and from the tool-holder in a straight-linedirection crosswise `of the aXes of rotation of the work holders..

9. In a metalworking machine, the combination of a tool slide, laplurality of work spindles, a traveling support for said spindles, andspindle-rotating mechanism com-` prising for ea'ch spindle a shaftymounted on and moving with the traveling support, said shaft having aclutch member, a. slide upon which the spindle support is mounted, saidslide being shi'ftable to and from the tool slide, and a stationarilysupported clutch member adapted to engage the shaft clutch members oneyat a time.

10. In a met-al Working machine, the combination of a plurality of Workspindles, a vertically reciprocating revoluible tool-carrying turret, arotata'ble table for the spindles by Which they are shifted insuccession into and out of Working relation to the turret, 'a slidesupporting said table, and means to reciprocate the slide.

1l. Inra metal Working machine, the combination of a. tool slide,

a plurality of Work spindles, a traveling support for said spindleswhich they are moved to and from position for Work, spindle-rotatingmeans, la rotatlng element that controls the spindle rotating mechanismand theh movements of the travelingsupport, a constant speed ro -tatingmember, means for connecting said constant speed member 'with the toolslide, and means for connecting said constant speed member With saidrotating element.

12. In a metal Working machine, the combination of a tool slide, aplurality of Work spindles, dles by Which they are moved to and fromposition for Work, spindle-rotating means, -a cam Wheel, -a clutch thatcontrols the spindle-rotating mechanism actuated by said cam Wheel,means for actuating said support a traveling support for said spinbysaid cam Wheel, a constant speed rotating member, means for connectingsaid constant speed member With the tool slide, and means for connectingsaid constant speed member with said cam Wheel. I Y

13. In a metal Working machine, the combination of a plurality of Workspindles, a traveling support-by which such spindles are placedsuccessively in and out of position for 40 `tating the spindle that isin position for 5o Work, land-means `for temporarily rotating a tspindle that is out of position Jfor Work, comprising a shiftable powertransmitting` medium that receives motion from the spin- 55 dle that isin Working position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES C. POTTER.

Witnesses MITCHELL ADAMS,

ELVERY LINGARD. Y

